A Great Goodfinding Exercise

Since I wrote last month’s newsletter focusing on “Gratitude, Appreciation and Optimism,” I have been trying a new exercise I want to recommend to you. If you do this for at least 3 weeks, I think you will notice a big difference in how you feel about yourself and the world around you. Try this writing exercise for 10-30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week, ideally in the morning:

1. Get comfortable in a private place, with a journal and your favorite morning beverage–and maybe some relaxing music.
2. Write about what you’re grateful for from your past. Think of all of the times you have felt peaceful, loved and joyful. Remember the fun you’ve had, and the times you’ve been inspired. And list the people you’re grateful for, and what they have meant to you.
3. Then shift your focus to the present, and write about what you appreciate about your body, mind and soul right now. Then think of what you appreciate about your home, your possessions, and your relationships.
4. Finally, write about what you’re looking forward to, and what you are optimistic about in your future. Stretch your imagination a little (or a lot, if you’re brave) here. Let yourself imagine that things will just get better and better for you, in many different ways. Picture good health for yourself and your loved ones, and see things working out in those areas where you have concerns.

It is very important that you write these thoughts down. The act of writing your ideas on paper (better than a word processor) slows down your brain and activates creative emotional processes that make it more likely that you will benefit in the present and future. Oh, and by the way–keep doing it! A lot of times, these exercises feel great at first, then the newness wears off and you might think it doesn’t work any more. This will always work–persistence pays!